143 replies to this topic

[R0n1n]

Yes i was thinking about using InterPActors (Movers) for moving platforms, elevators and such.

edit: Wohoo. Page fiiiiive

Edited by R0n1n, 23 April 2008 - 04:16 AM.

[R0n1n]

Subversion is driving me crazy!

In the Browser i go to http://sheelabs.game...h...;rev=0&sc=0 and what i can do is download every single file manually or just copy/paste the code and compile it myself.

Now im pretty sure that's not how it's supposed to be used. So i installed TortoiseSVN and read the Helpfile all morning now. I dont get it. Reminds me why i chose to study desin and not computer science

I believe i should be able to use TortoiseSVN to update my projectfolder to the latest revision automatically, then run UT3.exe make and be happy. Am i correct? And if so can you explain to me quick and simple how to set up the repository and what i need to do in order to work with it? I just need to know what settings to enter, where to click to update my local files and how to upload my own stuff into the repsitory.

You get a motivational picture in return!

[xiongmao]

Once you installed Tortoise
1) right click in the folder where you want to create the repository
2) click on SVN Check out
3) on the url bar copy/paste the following url: svn://gamemod.net/sheelabs/5WeekProject
4) Press ok it should download all files

Compilation:
as I'm lazy I use the default folder to compile, it's located in
YourUsername\Documents\MyGames\UTGame\

In the repository you will find the folder src and in this folder the folder FiveWeek Copy this folder (FiveWeek) to the folder YourUsername\Documents\MyGames\UTGame\src\

Again in the repository you will find in the folder src the folder config copy the content to the folder
YourUsername\Documents\MyGames\UTGame\config\

You need to add map in
Published\CookedPC\CustomMaps
or
UnPublished\CookedPC\CustomMaps

You need to add UPKFile in
Published\CookedPC\
or
UnPublished\CookedPC\

create a shortcut with UT3.exe and add make.

If everything's compile you will get a fiveWeek.u in YourUsername\Documents\MyGames\UTGame\UnPublished\CookedPC\

use Unpublished Folder is conditionned by the argument -useunpublished when launching UT3.exe -useunpublished

Hope this help

[ambershee]

Xiongmao is correct. You should read the e-mail with the details in it that I forwarded to you, it goes over basic use in detail.

[R0n1n]

Your motivational picture Sir

[ambershee]

Cracked it then ^^?

[R0n1n]

Yes It's working fine now.


I have a question concerning the movement. I am trying to modify the variables to get the movement and behaviour i like. While the JumpZ worked fine i have trouble with the runningspeed and acceleration.

I experimented with FiveWeek_PlayerController (don't mind the values entered)

DefaultProperties
{
  speedFactor = 10 //old 10
  speedThresholdInPercent = 75 //old 75
  //CameraClass=class'FiveWeek_Camera'
}

and FiveWeek_Pawn

defaultproperties
{
	GroundSpeed=100	//old 1100
	WaterSpeed=330
	AirSpeed=800	   //old 1100
	JumpZ=840		  //old 600
	AirControl=25.25	//old 0.35
	WalkingPct=0.4
	CrouchedPct=0.4
	AccelRate=512
	LandMovementState=PlayerWalking
	//LandMovementState=PlayerSpidering
}

I tried a lot of different combinations. While the values in the FiveWeek_Pawn class do what they promise, i get confused by speedFactor and speedThresholdInPercent. Can you please explain how they work? I do get some strage behaviour i don't understand yet. Do those two variables interfere with AccelRate in the FiveWeek_Pawn class? And can i already set the values for speedFactor and speedThresholdInPercent in the *.ini or do i still have to recompile the class. And if i change values in both places: Which one has the higher priority?

edit: One thing i've noticed is that the acceleration is not constant. Funny enough my character is accelerating when runnin in the X-Axis. But it doesn't accelerate while running in the Y-Axis.
Another thing is that in my "wierd" acceleration model the player should accelerate quickly until he hits the threshold from where on he accelerates slower up to a maximum speed. But i got a slow acceleration in the beginning and a strong one later on. Xiongmao enlighten us

After playing around with it for a couple of hours i think it would be a good thing if we could display the players speed and acceleration on to the screen. Just for working and playtesting. Later on we should remove this again. I leave it up to you. If you can do it in a couple of minutes please do it. If not dont.

Edited by R0n1n, 23 April 2008 - 05:20 PM.

[ambershee]

SpeedFactor and SpeedThreshold are used in the weird acceleration curve that you asked for; once a certain speed has been reached, the player will accelerate slower than normal. The threshold, I believe is 75% of the player's maximum GroundSpeed, so when this is hit, the player will no longer accelerate as quickly as they used to. Before they reach this threshold, they will accelerate faster, by a factor of the SpeedFactor.

This is what I believe to be the case, although I have only glanced quickly at the current code. Xiongmao should hopefully be along soon to clarify this better than I have.

In either case, none have "priority". They will all have an effect on altering the speed / acceleration curve.

[xiongmao]

Hi all,
I have to admit the development is not finished yet

1) about speed on Y-Axis, Michael is right. it's not taken in account, the current condition is the following:

local int currentPercent;
	  currentPercent = (Abs(Pawn.Velocity.X * 100) / class'FiveWeek_Pawn'.default.GroundSpeed;
	  if(currentPercent < speedThresholdInPercent)

Pawn.Velocity.X
I have to add OR Condition with Y-Axis

2) about acceleration
The code developped is a 2 states' system Walking and Running. As Luke mentionned, the threshold is here to determine when the player switches between the 2 states.
In Running state, the GroundSpeed is increased to GroundSpeed(default value) * speedFactor (in the example 1100*10), this field represents the maximum speed the player can reached. In fact, I never changed the acceleration the system takes care of that, I just increased the maximum speed (velocity) the player can reached.
What I am going to do is working on processMove method to reproduce a ramp.

About Debug, It could be interesting to add a field configurable (boolean) in FiveWeek_Game for example that will turn on or off some client messages or HUD methodsused for debug.

What do you think?

Edited by xiongmao, 23 April 2008 - 07:57 PM.

[ambershee]

You can do it with an exec function, and bind it to a key.

I'm not sure where you're going with this acceleration ramp. I'm not sure it's what Ron1n was after?

[R0n1n]

Phew.. thanks. That explains a a bunch.
About the "processMove method to reproduce a ramp." To be honest i don't know what exactly you have in mind when reading this. Buuut to make sure we are talking about the same thing i will try to explain very detailed what i have in mind.

If you are not 100% sure how to do it or have cool ideas to do it differently please tell me before you implement anything. The movement is (to me at least) the number 1 priority to get done asap and proper. If the movement is not done very solid it automatically runis any jump n run. No matter what you do besides that.

--------------------------------------------
Okay. I imagine it like this:

I made a video of a box animated the way i would like the player to accelerate while running straight. I hope it gives a feel for the intended behaviour.
http://rapidshare.co...o5Week.rar.html

I also made a screenshot of the animation curve. Please note i doesn't diplay acceleration like the last image but the Position of the Player relative to time (the steeper the curve, the faster he is).


-------------------------------------------

We have two states (as you said).
State 1:
This one is a very quick acceleration from 0 to a basespeed. In the Video it's the 2 frames where the box goes from standing still to moving.
State 2:
The player accelerates slowly from basespeed to maxspeed. If the player stops or runs into a wall he looses speed.

WHY do i want to do it like this?
In a Jump n Run type game, especially if we want to keep the player running constantly, never resting, always under timepressure you MUST allow the player to move. If he has to accelerate a whole second from standing still to a basic runningspeed it feels very unnatural and it will piss him off. "I want to run but the f****ing game doesn't let me!!"
For that reason i want to allow the player to move free and quickly at basic runningspeed. He should be allowed to stop, turn, run, strafe, stop run without loosing all his speed. Pretty much like he would expect his character to move if he knows UT. That way he doesn't feel restricted or cheated.
But on top of that we reward clean runs with a slow acceleration in speed. That way the Player feels free in movement (which i think is key in a jump n run) but there is reward for clean playing. Less frustration, more reward.
Kind of hard for me to write about design in english. I hope you get my point

Edited by R0n1n, 23 April 2008 - 10:11 PM.

[ambershee]

Way ahead of you - I explained how it should work to Xiongmao a couple of hours ago, and he re-wrote the system. The player should now accelerate very sharply until he reaches a critical speed, wherein afterwards he will accelerate much more slowly.

[R0n1n]

I hate you it takes you 1 sentence to say what took me .. well.. argh..
Well at least there wont be any missunderstandings now

Edited by R0n1n, 23 April 2008 - 10:21 PM.

[xiongmao]

Thanks for explanation Michael
I've uploaded a new version (just need to do right click on your folder and click on svn update)

The mechanism has changed a bit. the speedFactor is used to increase the AccelerationRate until the velocity reached the threshold. When threshold reached, the acceleration is the default one.

Hope this is better

Forgot something: acceleration and velocity are displayed on the screen

Edited by xiongmao, 23 April 2008 - 10:33 PM.

[xiongmao]

Michael How is it going ?
I've updated the scoreboard with energy, it's on SVN

What has to be done to complete the project ?

[ambershee]

Hve you any idea what's causing the phantom player yet? It's a bit unusual.

[xiongmao]

still there indeed I'll modified your map to add start and finish volume and I'll check if he's still there
Something may be wrong with the command I Launch: DM-Test_FiveWeekProject?name=Xiongmao?game=FiveWeek.FiveWeek_Game?NumPlay=1.
When I enter the map, I can hear a player dying, like a PlayerStart not well positionned but there is only one PlayerStart and when I press fire I have no problem to start game on the same PlayerStart

Edited by xiongmao, 26 April 2008 - 02:23 PM.

[ambershee]

That's not my map - but anyway, it shouldn't be happening. I have a feeling that UTGame is trying to add bots, but not finding a bot list, perhaps?

[R0n1n]

Just played a bit and commited two files (pawn and playercontroller). I changed the variables that determine the players movement. Below i'll list the most important problems left in my opinion:

- I didn't get the Victoryscreen when i reached the FinishVolume or died.
- when i press "F1" the HuD disappears completely
- Everytime the player looses energy (health) this "ARRGH" sound is played and the screen flashes. We should remove both.
- We are still missing the Pickups (they will make a big difference to the game im sure). I intend to use different staticmeshes for eacht level (to mach the style). Because of that we should implement them just using any mesh already there. I can override it later on with the correct meshes in the properties dialogue.

Those are some of the major issues that need to be fixed in my opinion.

Edited by R0n1n, 26 April 2008 - 05:23 PM.

[ambershee]

Sounds like we have work cut out for us.

a) I doubt that it's implemented in the downloadable version, since Xiongmao was clearly having issues with it.
b) I'm working on a HUD implementation now. It's possible the F1 key is a specific bind that will do this, but IIRC, it brings up the in game menu. We can't change binds without doing a lot of counter work, because these are stored in the GameSpy online profile, but it might be possible to track down the function that calls the menu. No guarantees on that one.
c) Sounds like we have some functions to over-write. I would anticipate this may not be too difficult, but may take a little while to track down.
d) Evidently you haven't noticed, but you can't change the mesh used by any pickup items, or even the base that spawns the pickup in the game via the editor. We can write a class that holds the relevant data - but you will have to extend that class and manually replace the mesh data yourself if you want to have different pickups.